THE BUZZ: EA has released a new developer diary for SSX which takes a look at the game’s online modes.

Creative Director Todd Batty discusses the game’s various online features. This is part one, part two is promised to discuss real-time multiplayer.

EGM’s TAKE: SSX uses an upgraded version of Autolog, from the Need for Speed franchise, to enable competitive racing without the need for other players. Fans can download ghosts from their friends walls and race against them in game, once you beat their time you can send them a message letting them know, leading to rivalries without the need to both be online at the same time. Each track will also display who is king of the mountain out of your friends list, with the aim being to conquer every slope. Finally, world events will be available once a week which anyone can take part in, these could be time trials or score attacks where everyone pays a small in-game entry fee and the winner takes the pot. It’s much harder in today’s society to find a time where you and a friend can be online to race each other, which is why this system is perfect, allowing you to enjoy the rush of multiplayer competition in a single player environment.

Matthew Bennett finally got his big break with EGM three years ago, following years of volunteer work for various sites. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.